Ireland is a small country located in Northwestern Europe. The official name of the country is the Republic of Ireland. This country is separate from Northern Ireland which is part of United Kingdom. It covers the five-sixth of this island with northern Ireland covering the rest of one-sixth. Ireland or the Republic of Ireland has 26 countries with Dublin as its capital.

Living in Ireland

Living in Ireland can be fascinating as it has lush green mountains. The countryside, especially, has some breathtaking natural beauty and is great for outdoor adventure such as horse-riding, golfing, cycling etc. People living here are known to be warm hearted and welcoming in nature. You may experience a popular western culture in cities like Dublin whereas a much traditional culture on the countryside.

Living in Ireland has its downsides too. It’s difficult to find a job here. This is due to the recent recession which hit the country keeping a lot of people unemployed. The cost of living here is also very high compared to the USA.

Politics in Ireland

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. It is a part of European Union. The

President is the head of the country and is elected every 7 years. Although the President is the head of the country the real political power is with Taoiseach, the Prime Minister of Ireland. There are a number of political parties in Ireland but the most dominant parties are Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Economy of Ireland

Ireland is a small open economy. Its growth is mainly dependent on international trade and is largely influenced by global markets. It is a part of the European Union since 1973 before which it was merely an agricultural based economy.

Ireland experienced a phenomenal boom from the mid 1990’s to mid 2000’s due to large foreign investments pouring in during that time. During this phase of rapid economic growth Ireland was known as the “Celtic Tiger”. After this in 2007 the country saw a major economic turndown due to a subsequent property bubble. On this Ireland had to ask financial help from the European Commission. After going through a lot of economic turmoil, Ireland’s economy is now growing again with some significant measures taken to protect the economy.

Buying and Renting Property in Ireland

Anyone from anywhere can buy property in Ireland regardless of their residential status. You can start looking for properties by hiring a real estate agent, going through local newspapers or searching online. Unlike other places where the real estate agent closes the deal, here you need to hire a solicitor to take care of legal paperwork. This is because the buying process can sometimes get complicated. Usually the buying process should take 6 to 8 weeks of time.

Depending upon the duration of stay, you may choose to buy or rent property. Renting a property in Ireland is quite similar to that of renting property in the US. For renting properties too, you can look for properties online. Some popular websites for searching properties online are www.daft.ie, www.let.ie, www.property.ie.

You can also look at newspapers or signup for an estate agent. After you find the property that suits you, put down the deposit, sign a lease and move in.

Ireland has a high standard of education system. Children of foreigners too can join local schools here without much of a hassle. Many expats have enrolled their children in public schools where education is free of charge. These public schools follow national Irish curriculum. Ireland also has private schools which have their own curriculum and way of working. These schools are expensive and can cost you thousands of euros.

There are a number of international schools too, which especially cater to foreign nationals and also offer International Baccalaureate. These schools are mostly located in Dublin.

Weather of Ireland

Ireland’s weather is unpredictable. You can experience all four seasons in a day if you’re lucky. But Ireland’s climate is mostly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, so it doesn’t have extreme temperatures like other countries located in the similar altitude do. The average temperature is 10 °C. In summer from May to July the highest temperature is 18 to 20 °C. Although the warmest months are July and August when there is 18 hours of sunlight when the sun sets only at 11 PM. In winters the temperature can fall up to 8 °C.

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